The family of a 2-year-old that was shot last night has set up a memorial fund to help the family. To donate just go into any 1st Source Bank.

The South Bend community is in shock after a 2-year-old boy was shot and killed while playing outside.

Police say the call came in just after 6 p.m. in the 1000 block of Campeau Street.

Family members have identified the victim as John Swoveland Jr. Police say he was playing with his older sister in the front yard of their aunt's home when the shots rang out.

"Gang bangers want to shoot at each other? OK. That's still not right," said Lt. Dave Wells, assistant commander of Metro Homicide. "But, when you have a little 2-year-old kid on a sunny day playing outside in front of his house and he can't even play out there without fear of a drive-by shooter killing him? It's ridiculous."

Police now say the shooting is connected to another shooting a little over one block east, near the intersection of Campeau and Arthur. Police responded to the shooting near Campeau and Arthur Streets and discovered that no one had been injured. Metro Homicide said Thursday an argument may have occurred between two rival groups which escalated into shots fired.

Metro Homicide believes one group ran from the other group westbound. Investigators say they believe, from evidence, that once the group fled, then shots were still fired, and a stray bullet hit 2-year-old Swoveland Jr.

A stray bullet struck and killed two year old John Swoveland, Jr. read a press release from the St. Joseph County Prosecutor. An argument may have occurred between two rival groups near the intersection of Arthur and Campeau Streets which escalated into shots fired. Its believed that one group ran from the other group in a westerly direction from the gun fight and was fired upon. Based on evidence gathered, investigators believe the group that fired shots may have continued to fire as the other group fled the scene.

The conclusion was based on ballistics evidence gathered from both scenes and from extensive interviews with witnesses.

At this point, police have made no arrests and have no suspects in custody.

Donnie Price lives next door to the home where the shooting took place. Price says his daughter was playing outside with John Swoveland, Jr. and Swovelands seven yr. old sister when the shooting took place.

My daughter is saying that the car, she was the one who identified the car, it came from that way straight down when it got to this area, the guy had shot in the car out the window, said Price.

Price used his cell phone to capture video of paramedics arriving on the scene. Then when the mom comes out of the house she was in a stance and stuff, there was like a little blood around the edge of the Pamper so when she pulled the shirt up she seen the gunshot wound.

An autopsy completed this afternoon found that the boy died of a gunshot wound to the chest.

Every life is important, every life we hold dear, its particularly, particularly disconcerting that someone so young, so vulnerable, so innocent was taken from our community, said Deputy Mayor Mark Neal, (D) South Bend.

Metro Homicide has no suspects in custody.

"It's kind of hard to say, but I think that what happened to the baby needs to happen to [the suspects]," said Travis Debaillie, the baby's uncle. " I mean, it's bad. It's a baby. It shouldn't have happened this way."

Anyone with information is asked to call Metro Homicide or CrimeStoppers.

"Gang bangers want to shoot at each other? OK. That's still not right," said Lt. Dave Wells, assistant commander of Metro Homicide. "But, when you have a little 2-year-old kid on a sunny day playing outside in front of his house and he can't even play out there without fear of a drive-by shooter killing him? It's ridiculous."

I will tell you what is "ridiculous Lt. Wells, it's ridiculous that your Department allows this crap to happen. Get out of your squads, get into the street and bust some heads. Yeah, it will be ugly. But it will soon show as 'effective neighborhood' policing.Get back on the block. Presence. Show of Force.

Progressives have passed strict gun control laws in almost every city they control.

Likely every urban street thug and gang member carrying firearms in progressive cities is in violation of multiple gun registration and use laws.

Police forces, judges, and DA’s today seem to have no reservations about using SWAT teams to break down the doors of ordinary citizens on fishing expeditions for people, paper, drugs, or other “evidence” of crimes.

Most of the gun violence in this country occurs in the inner city.

All of the above begs the question. Why aren’t governments in progressive cities and states going door to door to round up weapons in the urban neighborhoods where all of the gang violence is occurring? It would seem that Chicago would be a good place to start given the tough gun control laws, epidemic of gun related deaths, and entrenched progressive government. Plus it is the hometown of the current POTUS who hates guns.

5
posted on 04/12/2014 4:38:04 AM PDT
by Soul of the South
(Yesterday is gone. Today will be what we make of it.)

Without gun violence, they have nothing for their unconstitutional gun grabbing to stand on. The equivalent would be; take everyone’s drivers license for fatal accidence. The police wait until something happens, then go to the scene in a show of force in military get-up.

You are correct. A few dead kids makes good background for them when they start passing unconstitutional laws. After all, it is “for the children”.

I must quibble about one sentence though. “Plus it is the hometown of the current POTUS who hates guns.” Well maybe only one word. POTUS. There is no president of the United States. There is a President of the Africanmerican States.

“Why arent governments in progressive cities and states going door to door to round up weapons in the urban neighborhoods where all of the gang violence is occurring?”

I would not want them to do that in ANY neighborhood, regardless of the circumstances. Nothing wrong with putting cops back on the beat, but door to door searches are not an option. It would just be a matter of time before they came to YOUR neighborhood. In the interest of safety, of course.

8
posted on 04/12/2014 5:56:57 AM PDT
by bk1000
(A clear conscience is a sure sign of a poor memory)

“It would just be a matter of time before they came to YOUR neighborhood. In the interest of safety, of course.”

I’m not advocating door to door government searches and seizures of weapons. I’m just pointing out the hypocrisy of the progressive state. The progressive state and local governments have the power to end gun violence in the progressively ruled urban areas of the country if they so choose. Clearly they have reasons not to enforce their laws on the urban youth who are responsible for most of the gun violence and who are literally killing children every day.

Instead the progressives are focused on removing firearms from the hands of law abiding conservative citizens in flyover country. This speaks to the real aim of the left which is to take away the capability of citizens to overthrow a tyrannical government. The violent inner city youth do not represent a threat to government. Hence, no effort by government to stop the real gun violence.

9
posted on 04/12/2014 6:55:15 AM PDT
by Soul of the South
(Yesterday is gone. Today will be what we make of it.)

According to the FBI, there are an estimated 1.3 million gangsters in the US, affiliated with some 30,000 street gangs.

Therefore, it is past time for a federal law targeting street gangs, making it easy to file both federal and state injunctions against gang association. Once an anti-gang injunction is issued by a judge, any violation of that injunction puts the gangsters in front of the judge to face a contempt of court hearing (no jury), and as much as six months behind bars.

Since there are so many gangsters, they should not be held in brick prisons, but put in Joe Arpaio style tent cities in rural areas. This could be done to prevent known gang associates from communicating with each other. It is both inexpensive and conforms to international rules as *not* being a violation of their human rights.

“Instead the progressives are focused on removing firearms from the hands of law abiding conservative citizens in flyover country. This speaks to the real aim of the left which is to take away the capability of citizens to overthrow a tyrannical government. The violent inner city youth do not represent a threat to government. Hence, no effort by government to stop the real gun violence.”

I can’t argue with that.

14
posted on 04/12/2014 4:07:14 PM PDT
by bk1000
(A clear conscience is a sure sign of a poor memory)

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